Annual assessments of risks proposed

Care providers will have to undergo an annual risk assessment from April 2006, despite the removal of requirements that they be inspected every year.

The proposal comes in a consultation on changes to the regulatory framework for adult social care, launched last week.

It includes the well-trailed plan to give the Commission for Social Care Inspection the liberty to inspect providers as frequently as it wants, above a minimum of once every three years, replacing the current mandatory annual or bi-annual inspections.

However, to assuage fears this would increase risks for users, the CSCI will have to conduct a risk assessment every year based on past inspection information, analysis of complaints, service user ratings and provider self-assessments.

The frequency with which the CSCI inspects a provider will be based on the risk assessment.

The proposals also allow for the CSCI to carry out themed inspections of and random visits to a sample of providers.